Embark upon this voyage of discovery, exploration and
artistic adventure that takes place from June 1st until the 21st 2015. During
this period, the festival will showcase over 500 artists: local, Canadian and
International from the following disciplines – theatre, dance, music, visual
arts, etc. in three separate programs; 19 venues in and around the Plateau Mont
Royal and Mile-End districts of Montreal; over 700 performances and
events:

A.Fringe
A-Z – 2nd till 21st in 12 main+ 9
off venues; 110 companies performing from all artistic disciplines – comedy, storytelling,
theatre, musicals, dance, puppetry and cabaret in both French and English. To
allow equal opportunity and artistic freedom, artists are chosen by lottery
that is mandated to include 70% from Quebec (35% each from Anglophone and
Francophone) and 30% (15% each) from rest of Canada and International. Artists
have complete freedom to present anything. They are not bound by artistic
direction or censorship.

B.Fringe
After Dark – after dark, the wall between audience and stage will come
tumbling down in this nightly series from the 1st till the 21st, 18 events.

C.Of special note:

·Galerie Fringe: uncensored art exhibition @ MAI
is now six days – from 09th - 14th

Ticket Info:
‘Accessibility’ is a major ‘key-word’ in the Fringe Festival’s mandate and it
applies as well to you its audience. The price for each individual show in the
A-Z programming never exceeds 10$. In addition, there are 4 types of passes
depending on your ‘Fringe Level’:

A rapid-fire foretaste (from one to two minutes each) from most
of the local artists to try and sufficiently tantalize our taste buds to get us
to come and see their show. As I only
stayed for the first part and only a few of the 26 presentations stood out,
this year’s free-for-all will not be
a determining factor in my decisions on what to see during the Fringe. As always, I decide on this basic premise – What
is closest to now?– figuring in
the venue, the length of current show and the start of the next. I usually stay
in the same venue, so I tend to choose one where I have not yet seen any shows.
This adds a sense of ‘adventurous randomness’ to my Fringing. If there is a
choice, I go by word-of-mouth and the synopsis written in program.

Writer, singer and violinist, Allie Weigh, performs her
one-woman-show combining
spoken-word performance with her own musical compositions as background. It is
an autobiographical fiction about one woman's journey through four decades of life towards self-acceptance.
For nearly 60 minutes, Allie delicately weaves monologues
about motherhood, love, loss, sex and finding the way home. Despite a
few glitches, which could be eliminated through time and experience, this is a
promising debut and I am looking forward
to see her next show whether it is in the same vein or just showcasing her
compositions.

Two spoken-word artists from two different
generations and two different narrative styles, explore, through their stories,
the question: Is life a reflection of myth or do myths reflect life? As well, it
is also a retelling of the age-old struggle for women’s empowerment. After a
joint invocation, each in turn, recounts her story: Magali (the younger of the
two), an episodic tale of demons, tricksters, prophecies, Armageddon and
salvation; and Carole – an autobiographic story of losing oneself, rediscovery
and self-assertion in maintaining her youthful vitality. Regarding Carole, I
applaud her courage and her determination; she is an inspiration and a beacon
for the baby-boomer generation to follow her example. Magali possesses a
natural talent for storytelling, engaging her audience from start to finish.

Luigi Parandello
(1867-1936) was an Italian dramatist, novelist, poet and short story
writer, most noted for Six Characters in
Search of an Author and Henry IV.
In 1894, he marries Antonietta Portulano. Although she has greatly influenced
his work, she has become merely a ‘footnote.’ This play is the fruit of an
intensive investigation into this mysterious woman. With the help of an
incredible cast, well written and intensively researched, Michaela Di Cesare
sheds light on an important piece of literary history that up until now has
been kept hidden away under many layers.

Les Kurtettes is a four women review cabaret group
consisting of Caroline Gauthier, Krystelle Metras, Maude Payette Beauchesne and
Sarah Stupar. For this show, they perform the songs of Kurt Weill (1900-1950).
Enjoyable but not a standout – could have benefited from higher production
values such as lighting, instrumentation and more theatrical elements – i.e. it
was too basic.

Confabulation is a monthly event of ‘all-true’ stories based on a
particular theme. For this month’s event, stories revolving around being in the
wrong place, at the wrong time, or just generally being out of sync.

We are all invited to the octo-annual
L.I.O. assembly and presentation summit conference meeting. Sales expert Pipz
Tullman will guide us on an incredible journey to financial success and
enlightenment which will enable to quit our day jobs. We will even meet CEO and
supreme overlord Natas Nomed. Is L.I.O. to be trusted and what is their ‘real’
agenda? This hilarious spoof of ‘Get Rich Quick Investment Schemes’, that many
of us have attended, was well-acted and despite certain weaknesses in editing, very
enjoyable.

Fairy tale
fantasy and classic swashbucklingadventure comes to life on the stage.The ‘special
effects’ were astounding and executed with perfect timing. They were credible
and achieved without resorting to CGI and using the simplest of props. The acting was superb and the editing flawless. Laughter
abounded non-stop from beginning to end.

To cheer up his granddaughter, grandpa brings over a classic video game
from the 1980s. The basic story of the game is that the nations of Garland and
Tirngaard have been entangled in a bloody war for nearly 100 years. When
Princess Scarlet Pimpernel of Garland is kidnapped by Baron Thorne of
Tirngaard, it is up to Barnabas Candor and Salvatore Argento, best of friends
and former Knights of Garland, to save her. This they must do without their
trusted friend Sir Roland III, who was left for dead in a fatal fire years
earlier, and facing the evil Baron and his massive army.

Leó Szilárd (1898-1964) was a Hungarian-American physicist, inventor, peacemaker,
refugee and much more. This is Jem Rolls version of the life of this forgotten
genius. The story of Leó Szilárd is told in five narrative slices of the key
years between 1933 (when the idea of the Atomic Bomb first occurred to Leó
Szilárd) till 1945 (Hiroshima and Nagasaki), interjected with anecdotes to
convey the range, humor and times of this man. Along the way we meet all of the
players involved in what was known as the Manhattan Project as Jem Rolls takes
us behind the scenes. Told in a scholarly fashion yet imbued with humor and
drama – too bad that history professors don’t model themselves after Jem Rolls –
university classes of history would be overcrowded).

Project
Bluebird was a secret CIA mandated mind control program between 1951 and 1953.
Test subjects were bought by the government to see which sound stimuli could be
used to completely control them. This play expertly reenacts this. It was
well-acted and edited combining drama, dance and singing. The effect was
surreal and downright frightening and disturbing.

It is 2056; humanity and planet Earth have been
devastated by a nuclear holocaust. In order for the remnants to survive, all
religion and languages except for English have been banned. To enforce this, a
Big Brother type group called ‘The Helpers’ has been established. Knut and Madalyn navigate this forsaken and
dangerous world struggling to not slip up and return to the ‘old and destructive’
ways. Well written, edited and acted.Keir Cutler is destined to become a major playwright in the same caliber
as Michel Tremblay.

Mireille has invited an old fling, Butch, for dinner.
This arouses feelings of jealousy on the part of Ray, her husband. He wonders
why his wife is getting all dressed up, since Butch is blind and has been so
since birth. When Butch arrives, the awkwardness of this reunion and the
rivalry between Ray and Butch simmers slowly underneath the surface. A biting
comedy about stagnant relationships, awkward reunions, drunken rivalries,
unattained expectations and how one ‘sees’ his/her surroundings.

The seven
steps in the path of a lifetime – childhood, adolescence, first love, early
adulthood, maturity, middle age and death – are retraced through the vehicles
of dance and texts. Organic morphing from one step to the next.

In essence, Ève and Simon are perfect strangers – they have
only corresponded through the internet. Simon has been in Montreal on a
business trip and this is his last night – he is returning to France the next
day. Ève has invited him to spend the night with her and he agrees. When he
arrives he finds that there has been a blackout. What ensues is a quest for intimacy,
love, integrity and healing culminating in one of the most powerful
conclusions, I have ever seen (both in theatre and cinema) – a burst of emotions
emanating from both of the principles. In between, there were ample amounts of
humanity and humor. Being subjected in obscurity for most of the piece resulted
in a very sensory experience and showing that there are things that can only be
seen in the dark.

The
intention of Jason Allman for this piece was to convey some of the ideas and
concerns that are important to him and hopefully important to the audience. His
hope was that it would be relevant and stir up similar feelings, sowing the
seed for connecting and subsequent conversation. Unfortunately IT DIDN’T WORK.
The acting and the dancing was horrible, the dialog was generally incomprehensible
and the song kitsch. The only bright spot was Stephanie Marikanos – she has a
beautiful voice and she has potential. Hopefully she will be given more fruitful
roles in future.

A hilarious sitcom about two septuagenarians dealing with
dating, internet and taxes. Despite being divorced from Martha, Hugh does her
taxes every year. They also drink wine and debate whatever is on their minds.
This year, Hugh is searching on the internet for a younger man. He wants a long-term
relationship. The play is poignant as many of us baby boomers are either
already in our 70s or are quickly approaching them. The chemistry between Guy
and Irene was electric and engaging, a joy to watch (in a similar vein as
Archie and Edith in All in the Family).

TRIPTYCH
is a journey exploring the rites and myths of Love, Lust and Longing. With its
prose-like and ritualistic nature, it conveyed a sense of what theatre would
have been like in Ancient Greece.Theatrical Arthouse, known as Sensory Theatre, in order to better
understand the timeless dramas of our existences.

Performed by a cast of 12 actors, music performed by
David Terriault (Piano), Audrée Leduc (Violin), Valentin Bajou (Cello); Ten
all-new songs. First three shows completely sold out – three shows remaining
(17, 19 and 20) – if you haven’t seen this yet BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!

This musical comedy inspired by the Marvel Universe comic
book mythology and H.G. Wells’ War of the
Worlds and Arthur C. Clark’s Childhood’s
End is set in the not-too-distant future. Twenty years prior, humanity had
it’s first contact with an extraterrestrial species called the A’aru. They
claimed to have come in peace but they had really come to destroy humanity in
order to expand their empire. Humanity, with the help of a group called the
Skyguard, successfully fought them off in a bloody war that lasted ten years. This
group was composed of individuals endowed with special powers. A decade of peace
and harmony followed. One of these
individuals is Captain Aurora. She is bored and longs for adventure. She is
about to get her wish – an A’aru ship left on Earth after the invasion – has reawakened.

Well acted, scripted and edited with great songs sung by
great singers. This would have benefitted tremendously with a higher budget and
production values. The
dialogue and song lyrics were often inaudible.

At the foot
of a snowy mountain covered with pines, lives a hunter name Bar Kapra who has
vowed to rid the forest of squirrels. His assistant Bat Kapra picks up the
corpses to put them in bags which in turn are given to Trout, their protégé.
One day, an argument ensues between Bar and Bat over his methods of hunting.
Bat is shot and left for dead. Trout sees her and promises to help her to heal.
Trout finds herself torn between the two as she is forced to make promises to
both. The result is a deliciously funny slapstick comedy – a parable of
revenge, forgiveness and loyalty. Scapegoat Carnivale is one of the most
talented independent theatre companies presently based in Montreal.

With frenzied childlike delivery of raunchy adult-oriented
stand-up comedy with self deprecating wit, Bennett recounts memories of his
childhood especially those concerning his brother ‘Tim.’ All the while he is
dressed up in a rabbit suit. The show was accompanied by clips from cartoons
involving rabbits and videos of pet rabbits and a soundtrack that gave a sense
of double entendre. Bennett involved the audience in reciting poetry,
sing-along , etcetera.

In the early
1990s, the Haydell Sisters dominated the country music charts releasing two
albums before slipping into obscurity due to personal turmoils and public scandals.
Now after 20 years, they have returned and are set to retake their dominance of
the country charts. They have just released Stripped
Down, an honest retrospective – re-visioned and re-recorded for a new
generation (for more info CLICK HERE) and are currently on a major comeback tour – three more shows at
Montreal Fringe (18, 19 and 21). Country music in all its glory; two lovely
women singing in harmonious beauty; typical country themed songs with lyrics
full of double-entendres that will have you laughing in stitches as you
sing-along.

The Legend of Issun-bōshi
is a Japanese fairy tale about a man who was no more than three centimeters
tall. When he becomes an adult, he sets out on a journey to find his place in society
by becoming a samurai. This delightful show recounts the adult version of the
story using shadow puppetry. Obviously DIY but with time and maturity, the
execution and professionalism of this story and others to follow should
increase.

They are definitely worth the
effort to see their shows. This was the last performance of Oni at the Montreal
Fringe but they are continuing their tour throughout Canada with Oni and also
two other shows. See image below for their itinerary:

Written and performed
by / Écrit et interprété par: Collective / Collectif

Directed by/ Mise-en-scène par: Maxime Mompérouse

The goal of Trembler d’avantage is to create a
space-time-continuum where there are no rules to prevent one’s twisted internal
cries being freely expressed. This piece did precisely that, where, in a series
of short numbers, the five performers (four women and one man) let out screams,
ravings, diatribes and other spoken word styles to release their animalistic
and organic desires in an effort to dilute their rage of existence. This seemed
to please the nearly full house which was basically made up of friends and
family. For myself, I was not too impressed.

David Vaughan (born / ne 1924) is a dance
historian, dancer, choreographer, actor, singer and critic. From 1976 until 2012,
when the company disbanded, he was the archivist for the Merce Cunningham
(1919-2009) dance company. This piece is a nostalgic portrait of this company
and the man behind it, using dance and object theatre to recreate the essence
both the company and the man. Unique and well executed creating spellbinding
illusions.

Music
composed and performed by / Musique composé et
interprété par: Elliott Loran

A fun show, more
like a house party than a performance. Before the show we all received snacks. After
hearing a member of the audience tell his/her story, the three performers would
bring the story to life using puppetry (just everyday household items) backed
with live music combined with choreographed gestures. Four audience members
recounted their stories with interludes of a ‘three-part’ story from each
performer. Great timing, fluid execution and realistically bringing to life the
‘puppets’ used.

20h00 The No Bull$#!% History of Canada; The House of Style; (Montreal / Montréal);

Written and
performed by / Écrit et interprété par: Kyle Allatt;

Directed by/
Mise-en-scène par: Tim Ekerett

A well researched comedic romp through the history of
Canada, highlighting ten of our nation’s most iconic figures. This is guaranteed
to give one a different view of the history of our nation and to be proud to be
a part of it. Not only is truth often stranger than fiction, but it can also be
more interesting and funnier. Kyle
has uncovered some surprising revelations.

Written
and performed by / Écrit et interprété par: Deborah Ring and Noemi Salamon

Sketch comedy that explores the issues of who and why we are, first
love, leaving our parents and finding our place in society, and finally,
becoming parents in our own right: all of this, done in an irreverent absurdist
fashion; though at times discomforting, executed in perfect symmetry between
Deborah and Noemi in a style similar to the classic comedy duos of the ‘golden
age’ of comedy.

An
outrageously hilarious exploration of the various stereotypical characters we
see on a daily basis: eccentric geniuses, outlandish and bizarre individuals
and ragamuffins. The story centers on a genius conductor who begins a descent
into madness. Along the way, as he wanders the streets, we encounter these
various characters. James morphs seamlessly from one character to the next.

For approximately
50 minutes, mind reader Vincent
Pimparé astounded the audience with various games whereby he would attempt to
identify what was in their minds. Choosing individuals to come up on stage or
by having the audience jot down their thoughts on a small piece of paper,
Vincent would then proceed to determine what the thought was; being accurate,
most of the time.

A ‘magic and
storytelling show’ that will astound you as Christian Cagical weaves tales from
the dark side, mysteries that will chill your very heart and curdle your blood
and leave you screaming out for more. All of this through the use of playing
cards shuffled and handled under a video camera that gives a close-up view of
every move he makes. Cagical possesses, as well, a charismatic style of
delivery.

Written
and performed by / Écrit et interprété par: Lar Vi and Sehar Manji

Stella
Stackman is a museum curator specialising in Egyptology. One day she receives a
call to participate on an archaeological dig in Egypt. This is a glorious opportunity
for her but there is one major stumbling block. She is a hoarder and needs a
large amount of storage space. She catches a television ad by Hamhock Velvet, a
former rock’n’roller and owner of a self-storage facility. Though well-acted,
the script could have used some fine-tuning. The ‘methods’ Sehar used to
portray her character’s navigation of her cramped and cluttered apartment was
amazingly believable.

A ‘monster’
is an individual who due to his/her physical deformities and/or strange behaviors,
doesn’t quite integrate into society. Quite often, they are alone and live in
darkness avoiding the light of society’s steady gaze. This theatrical piece was
inspired by French painter Jacques Tissot’s (1836-1902) ‘October’. The play
features many ‘monsters’ and contains multiple references to the Biblical Book
of Genesis. The acting was very theatrical and very physical.

A delightful
family-oriented solo physical comedy show, that, unfortunately, four of the six
representations were too late for children. The central character is a mysterious
mythical creature called Kiss Around Pass
Around. It sets out on a journey in all directions, searching for its
father. Along the way, this unruly yet innocent creature asks the ‘humans’ in
the audience for help. The creature sneaks into your life and steals your
heart.

A
multidisciplinary show performed by a cast of ten tortured souls as they give
testimonies regarding their paraphilias (conditions marked by sexual
attraction for objects or people outside the norm). This educational performance was weakened by poor video visuals. The
names of these paraphilias appeared on the screen located at the back of the
stage. Unfortunately not enough time was allowed to read them and they were
often hidden from view by the performer.

Nancy's Books are sold on Kindle and at Paragraphe Bookstore, 2220 McGill College Avenue, Montreal

Beyond the Dream: Epic Solitude - Nancy's collection of Poetry & short stories. Contact nansnipper@gmail.com or Click on image to read article. Here is the link to Martin Barry's article: http://martincbarry.weebly.com. Book is also available on Amazon Kindle

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Nancy Snipper is also an accomplished singer/songwriter – banjo player and classical pianist. Her three CDs have garnered much media praise along with her performances (Canada, Mexico, Cuba). Her voice is astoundingly beautiful – velvety in her blues numbers, sensual and sizzling in her folk, rock and country compositions. Now you can own one of her CDs. For enquiries about owning her CDs and/or booking performances contact her at this email: sylvainmrichard@gmail.com. Her CDs help raise money for cancer research.

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Note / Nota:

July 10, 2016:The beginning of a new and exciting chapter! Nancy Snipper's (a.k.a S.N.) first posting on her own blog: http://sntravelandartswithoutborders.blogspot.ca/********************************************************

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